A month-long probe into the disappearance of 500 rounds of ammunition seized by the police from the Firearms Training Institute back in October 2022, has reportedly cleared the officers involved of any criminal culpability.
This was announced yesterday by T&T Police Service (TTPS) Public Information Officer, Insp Michelle Lewis, during the weekly media briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port-of-Spain.
Lewis said, acting on instructions from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard SC, the officers were cleared because “there was no criminal culpability on the part of the police officers.”
However, Lewis admitted that investigations are continuing into the matter.
The investigation was ordered by Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher on February 13, after it was raised by Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal during a media conference.
Moonilal claimed the police had seized the ammunition from the Firearms Training Institute’s managing director Towfeek Ali following an audit of his business, and that legal action had to be taken against the police, following which a judge ordered the ammunition be returned.
However, it was alleged that when that was done, 500 of 1,230 rounds of 9mm ammunition were found to be missing.
Moonilal said it was unacceptable that the police admitted to taking the ammunition and initially indicated that they could not find the missing bullets, followed by a subsequent claim that they miscalculated by 500.
—Anna-Lisa Paul